My Old Friend John (When We Were Boys Together)

DESCRIPTION: "'Tis forty years, my old friend John, Since you and I were young." Back then, they sang and climbed the mountains and culled the heather. "Methinks it seems but yesterday Since we were boys together" even though they have lost many loved ones
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1867 (MeetMeInTheLaneSongster)
KEYWORDS: age friend
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
MeetMeInTheLaneSongster, p. 46, "My Old Friend John" (1 text)
Roud #13806
NOTES [59 words]: This seems to be best known as the source of an ironic joke, which appeared in several newspapers and anthologies: "It's forty years, my old friend John, since we were boys together." "It is? Well, don't speak so loud; there's that young widow in the next room...." This appeared at least as early as the August 22, 1874 (San Mateo) Times Gazette. - RBW
Last updated in version 7.1
File: MMLS046

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